


King

by FairyLights101



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 17:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyLights101/pseuds/FairyLights101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Am… am I just a s-self-serving king?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	King

The ball hit his fingers and he pushed it off, again and again, the tosses swift. And Asahi, Tsukishima, and Tanaka missed them - Hinata just barely managed to catch the ball on his fingertips and knock it over or into an iron wall of waiting hands. he could see the darkness that stole over his teammate’s features, but he couldn’t slow the tosses, couldn’t control his limbs as he hurled the tosses up, sweat dripping down his face as he set the ball again and again. Harder. Faster. 

He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could only launch the ball into the air as Hinata’s cries for the ball gradually fell silent - even the squeak of shoes and the thud of balls and the cheers from the crowd died away from him, dull and nonexistent in a haze of static. All except for the way Hinata tapped the ball with a hiss of fingers across the surface of it before he landed with a deafening thump, the sound as heavy as the atmosphere that cloaked the court.  

Kageyama watched as a ball fell towards his hands, as he pushed it forward, a hard shot. Perfect. Too quick. Untouched. The ball smacked the gym floor and rolled away as feet squeaked on the wooden floor behind him. The team shifted there behind him in a loose circle, eyes hostile and mouths set into deep frowns. Daichi, Sugawara, Asahi, Nishinoya. Even Hinata. All of them had the same dark glare, the same, all-too familiar set to their shoulders. 

“You know,” Daichi said, eyes narrowed and voice deep, “I thought you’d changed, but you’re still just a dictator. Like you were in middle school.” 

“A king only interested in his own serves,” Sugawara added, none of the familiar cheeriness or friendly attitude visible, before he turned, and he and Daichi stalked off the court towards the bench - someone must’ve called a timeout. Or maybe they’d lost. Kageyama had no clue - all he knew was that terrifying, heart-stopping moment where the ball had hit the ground.  _ Again _ . 

Nishinoya just sneered at him, snapped something that went fuzzy in Kageyama’s ears, and he stomped off too with a flash of orange and a squeak of shoes. Asahi was worse - disappointed, disgusted even. He shook his head, ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought you were better than that. You had so much promise.” Kageyama couldn’t speak, couldn’t call him back to explain, to try to reason. 

And then Hinata stood before him, eyes wide with hurt. With hate. He didn’t blink, even when sweat dripped off his forehead into his eyes, and his shoulders hitched heavily for air. “Hinata?” Kageyama managed, his voice startlingly weak. Pitiful. Hinata shook his head, and his eyes never left Kageyama as he spoke, his voice cold - foreign. “I never listened to them. I always thought they had to be wrong. But they were right. You really are just a self-serving king.” 

All the air rushed out of Kageyama and he staggered as those golden eyes narrowed. As he turned his back and walked away. Pain flared in his knees when they smacked to the ground, and then in his hands when he slapped them to the court floor. He couldn’t fight the tears that seared his eyes and splattered on the polished wood. And all the while people from all around him picked up a chant, low and rough and agonizing to hear. 

“King. King. King.  _ King _ .”

* * *

 

Kageyama lurched up, blankets at his waist, as he gasped and clutched at his chest as his heart slammed against his rib cage. Sweat beaded up, drenched him, and he trembled as he stared down, blind with terror.  _ No, no, not a king. Not a king. i’m not a king _ . But his stomach still rebelled and he hunched over, dug his fingers into his skin and fought for control, struggled to slow and quiet his breathing - and utterly failed. 

Fingers brushed his arm, then wrapped around it, just above his elbow, and he managed to drag his eyes away, to glance down. Hinata’s face was just visible in the dim moonlight, his brow creased with worry. “Kageyama?” 

He meant to say “Yes”, but all that came out was a strangled little sound, and instantly a set of warm arms wrapped around him and his shoulder settled against Hinata’s chest, then a hand pressed his head into Hinata’s neck. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, wanted to scream as he trembled and gasped.  _ I’m going to die _ . Irrational, stupid. Still. He couldn’t think past the idea of being left. _ Again _ . Another set of hands on him, soft words. “Is he okay?” 

“I don’t know… I think it’s a bad nightmare.” 

Someone groaned, and then a new voice broke through the daze. “What’s wrong with the king?” 

Kageyama couldn’t restrain another strangled sound and Hinata hugged him tighter, pressed him close. “Tsukishima! Don’t!” Soft fingers swept down his back to try and soothe him. His breathing shuddered and after an eternity he sagged against Hinata’s chest, weak. “Kageyama?” He just shook his head, sucked down a breath. He couldn’t pull his head up, didn’t want to face them when he was worn so thin.  _ I’m so weak _ . 

“Tobio.” It was Daichi’s voice, deep and soft. Authoritative but gentle. Kageyama pried his face from Hinata’s neck and swept a hand across his cheeks, damp with tears and sweat. Another shuddering breath into his hands, and the sounds finally hit him. A soft murmur from the second-years. Breathing all around. Something shuffling, shifting. His own deafening, ragged breaths. And then his voice, thin and wavering as he stared at the floor, resolute.  _ I can’t look at them _ . 

“Am… am I just a s-self-serving king?” 

The team stilled around him, silent. And that only made him want to shrink away into nothingness - until a hand slapped his back,  _ hard _ . “Of course not!” Sugawara chirped as he leaned close and let his hand linger. “And anyone who spikes with you can agree! You’re not like that anymore, Kageyama. You’re a king, maybe, but you’re a good king.” 

“Sugawara is right,” Daichi added as he squeezed Kageyama’s shoulder and smiled, “You’re a very good player.” 

“Yeah!” Nishinoya butted in, “Your sets are great!” 

“Damn right they are!” Tanaka this time, just as fierce as always, “You give some of the best tosses!” 

“Agreed,” Asahi murmured, his smile warm and comforting. “That’s why you’re our starting setter - you’re good, and you’ve become a team player. You’re not a king, Kageyama - you’re just a crow.” 

Hinata’s arms squeezed around him, unyielding in his grip as he beamed at Kageyama with bright eyes. “I love your tosses,” he whispered, shockingly soft, “They’re so high that I’m like ‘woah!’ and then ‘woosh’ when I hit it, and then it leaves my hand red, and it’s so cool!” 

That coaxed a tiny smile out of Kageyama, weak but still there, and he sagged completely against Hinata’s chest with a soft sigh. “I don’t want to be a king. Not again.” 

“You won’t be,” Daichi said firmly, and Sugawara grinned at Kageyama from over his shoulder. 

“Daichi’s right, so don’t worry! You’ve got us now.” Kageyama nodded, and the team beamed at him - well, except for Tsukishima, but his eyes had softened so much that they were almost foreign. “Are you going to be okay?” Sugawara asked after a second, and Kageyama nodded. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be fine. Sorry guys. Go back to sleep.” 

They eyed him for a moment, but they nodded and shifted back to their own futons until only Hinata was there, still holding on tight. “Let’s get some water.” 

Hinata gave him no room to argue because he grabbed Kageyama’s hand, hauled him up, and dragged him out into the hall. He must have grabbed money somewhere in that time because a minute after he pushed Kagayama onto a bench he came back with two cold drinks in his hands. They poked their straws through and sipped slowly in silence, only the faint hum of the vending machines in their ears. “You don’t have to be bad to be a king. You’re a good king, Kageyama.” 

The setter blinked and glanced down to find bright gold eyes and a soft smile waiting on him - and it left him breathless. But in a good way this time. He ducked in, pressed a kiss to Hinata’s lips, and settled so his head was nestled in Hinata’s chaotic orange hair.  _ A good king, huh? I like the sound of that. _ “Thanks.” 

Hinata just trailed his fingers across the back of Kageyama’s hand for a moment before he linked their fingers together. “No problem.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Haikyuu!! work and man oh man, so anxious :') But eh, here it is anyway!  
> Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day/night/existence!


End file.
